


Valentine's Year

by merry_amelie



Series: Academic Arcadia [208]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 08:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1183910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quinn brings balance to a Valentine tradition in Arcadia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine's Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katbear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katbear/gifts).



> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta team: Emila-Wan and Carol  
> Mali Wane for posting  
> Alex for inspiring Arcadia 
> 
> Here are the Valentine Arcadias:  
> 2004 -- [Valentines by Design](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1793572)  
> 2005 -- [Valentine's Day at the Gardens](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1819438)  
> 2006 -- [A Newlywed Valentine's Day](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1843597)  
> 2007 -- [Valentine's Morning](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1907910)  
> 2008 -- [Valentine's Night](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4149957)  
> 2009 -- [Valentine's Cruise](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4209441) (my favorite)  
> 2010 -- [Valentine Woods](http://archiveofourown.org/series/71628)  
> 2011 -- [Valentine Surprise](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4359491)  
> 2012 -- [Valentine Tuesday](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4388390)  
> 2013 -- [One Enchanted Valentine](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4388390) by obi1mcgregor
> 
> If you're interested in finding out about Ian's hidden treats, please read Valentine Tuesday.

Saturday, January 25, 2014 would always be a memorable occasion for Ian. Quinn had unexpectedly turned it into an early Valentine's Day for the two of them to enjoy. The snow that afternoon had transformed the back yard into a frosty fantasyland, and the trees were wearing their white winter cloaks as Quinn got everything ready indoors.

It all started for Ian when he was sitting at the kitchen table that evening, dressed for bed by then, gazing outside into a crystalline realm of ice-tipped beauty. He loved to spread his papers out there by the landscape window, rather than on his desk in the second bedroom, because it had more space for all of his scholarly sprawl. It also happened to be nearer to Quinn's office, so he could easily pop in and out for a quick kiss or two. Ian was already preparing for his first exam of the semester, set for the following Wednesday.

He reached into the utility drawer to get a new pen when his old Paper Mate ran out of ink and found a delicious surprise waiting for him instead. His fingers brushed the unmistakable shape of a York Valentine heart, its foil crinkling underneath his fingertips. Chuckling, Ian instantly was reminded of the Valentine's Day scavenger hunt he had prepared for Quinn a couple of years back, when Ian had decided to hide treats all over their office at Luke, complete with love notes. He began to grin when he realized that Quinn had finally gotten around to returning the favor. But the holiday was still a few weeks away. Why celebrate it starting near the end of January?

He got up to search for the note he knew must have been left in the messy, over-full drawer. After making it even messier by rummaging his way through it, he found a small piece of heart-shaped notepaper tucked beneath an old address book, which was filled with Quinn's exuberant script:

"Dear Ian,  
Happy Valentine's Year! It's 2014 -- that's 2/14 for the two of us. Let's start this year out right and make every day a celebration together.  
All my love,  
Quinn"

Ian's smile grew from warm to absolutely incandescent as he read Quinn's letter. That man had a knack for enjoying life and taking everyone he loved along with him on an enchanting ride. And now it was Ian's chance to return the favor.

After sitting down again, he unwrapped his candy treat, ready for a little oasis in his worknight. He savored the blend of chocolate and peppermint icing over his tastebuds as he munched on the York heart. He tore off a sheet of his notepad and pondered his response to Quinn for the next little while. But before he could start to write, he felt a warm pair of arms snug around him from behind.

"Find anything of *note* this evening?" Quinn asked, adopting Ian's tradition of using the worst pun he could think of at the moment. Laughter enriched his voice as he saw the foil wrapper shining amidst the books and papers on the table.

"Just that you have a way of turning the most ordinary day into something special for me." Ian leaned back to be snuggled deeper into his husband's embrace.

"And for us," Quinn murmured, immediately rewarding his lad with a kiss just under his right ear, which made Ian's inner Obi-Wan shiver. Quinn brushed copper hair aside for a nuzzle to his neck. A happy sigh let Quinn know that Ian savored all of his caresses even more than his chocolate-coated present.

Artoo and Sandy must have heard Ian's sigh in their dreams, since they woofed softly in their baskets, right in the middle of their sleep. Sandy turned over to face Artoo instinctively, as he burrowed deeper into the new blanket that Violet had knitted him for Christmas. Their two dads gave them indulgent smiles.

"Do you need to finish up in here right now?" asked Quinn, the huskiness in his voice thrilling along Ian's neurons with a delicious rush of heat.

"Not sure yet," Ian drawled. "I might be persuaded to take a break."

Quinn's eyes sparkled at the mischief in Ian's voice. "Is that so, laddie? Wonder what it would take to convince you?" he whispered into Ian's ear, his breath ruffling the little hairs of his sideburns. His brogue grew more pronounced with each word, sending a tremor through Ian.

Despite the marvelous sensations bubbling within him, Ian could still tease with the best of them. "Why don't you give it your best shot and see what happens?"

"Oh, ho, so that's the game, is it, now?" Quinn's chuckle was an additional caress to Ian's ear. "What would you think of a touch to your cheek?" Quinn teased back, suiting the action to the word as his thumb rubbed over the delectable skin there. "What might that do?"

"Does wonders," said Ian dreamily, pressing his face into his husband's palm.

"And what about this?" Quinn dipped his thumb into Ian's dimple and rubbed it tenderly.

"Mmmmmm," Ian purred. "You're very convincing tonight."

Quinn smiled when he realized that there would be no more paperwork for either of them that evening. Reluctantly removing his thumb from its haven, he used his extensive reach to his advantage when he flipped the switch of the radio on the kitchen counter, hoping to find something for them to dance to. He smiled when he heard the unmistakable chords of "Stormy Weather" and Lena Horne's sultry voice.

Sparing a quick look at the snowy night, Ian said, "How appropriate." When Quinn gave him a look, he clarified, "Well, it is a snow*storm*, after all."

Quinn groaned obligingly for his husband, as he pulled Ian up from the chair into his arms. "Dance with me, lad?" Quinn asked softly.

"My pleasure," answered Ian with a sweet grin, then started to move in a gentle glide over the terra cotta tiles.

'Oh, this is wonderful,' Quinn thought. 'So different from our dancing in public. No prying eyes, just us together.'

Ian rested his head on his guid-man's shoulder, revelling in their closeness. He could tell Quinn had already taken his Saturday bath by the lingering scent of his herbal shampoo; his fresh-scrubbed face brushed against his own hair in a gentle caress. He reached a fingertip up to meander over Quinn's newly shaved chin and purred again in perfect contentment.

Rumbling his own delight in response, Quinn danced Ian away from the table, so that they would have room to move in the space between the counter and the refrigerator, without getting too near the pups and their baskets. Artoo and Sandy slept on, oblivious to the fact that their dads were dancing beside them, made possible because the men were wearing thick winter socks instead of shoes, so that there was no clattering of heels on the floor tiles. They were already wrapped in their chocolate-brown bathrobes over flannel pajamas in anticipation of bedtime, and the robes swirled around their calves with every move they made.

Half kata, half dance, their movements were as much in harmony as Lena's vibrant voice. Years of training and love blended into an exquisite sensual delight for them. Ian reached up for a kiss at the same instant as Quinn bent down for one, and their mouths met, saying more than hundreds of stories could ever hope to convey.

Valentine's Year was off to a romantic start.


End file.
